The TEQ Nordic game REANIMAL is the first one that comes out exclusive for Nintendo Switch 2 since its publisher has made available a trial version, allowing the players to express their opinion and also directly submit their wish list. The official social network sites of the company made the announcement, and at the same time a link was shared for the gamers to have access to the free trial version. Therefore, gamers are able to preview the game on the latest Nintendo hardware before the full release.

It seems as if THQ Nordic suddenly made this announcement out of the blue. They posted something similar to “You demanded it, here is the REANIMAL demo on Switch 2!” and, for just one moment, the excitement was really felt. A link is there, a nice picture of the game, everything looks so perfect. But if you… you go down the page. And the replies tell a completely different story. It seems that the demo has released the floodgates, but not for the praises they probably wanted.

To begin with, people weren’t even able to find it. User RTrajano86 bluntly said “The demo is not available yet.”, and catteacher83 chimed, “not in the eshop right now.” So, this surely creates the impression of the usual announcement chaos at video game launches – the tweet is out but the online shop has not updated yet. How to love that? Then the questions were sent in, but really fast, and from the very first moment they were technical. Milo B.I.G. threw the hardest one at them straight away: “What is the frame rate?” Dawid Szoplik subsequently asked in performance mode the fps target, claiming it is just the same as quality mode in handheld. That is a very particular and reasonable concern and it shows that gamers are already stretching Switch 2 hardware to its limits. Giuliano Imanol even posed a question to the universe about why so many developers can’t get 60fps which is… a mood, indeed.

To my surprise, some people expressed their happiness. Kaffal7 stated, “Ty. I love this game 😍” and that’s really nice. SleepShot was totally in, requesting a review copy and saying it looks really great. Also, mizo_mizo06 remarked, “the quantity of demos coming to switch 2 is crazy,” and that is a good sign for the platform’s launch period.

But this is the moment when it becomes hot. The most talked about matter, the one that was repeatedly raised by the gamers, was not the frame rate or the demo. It was the physical release. Or to be more specific, the absence of a real one. The comment section turned into a singe voice asking for a real cartridge. One user after another requested THQ Nordic to do so. RenReposts expressed, “Please give us a proper physical release on the switch 2 …” . Statesminds was asking for “Real Physical copies”. Gavin simply mentioned “Real game card please.” Cosmic_Alema expressed it in economic terms: “Release it full on cartridge and my money is yours.” The sentiment was very clear and was confirmed by Julien, RyoRetweets, TollTommy41450, Flamedbeacon, and MetroidFREAK21 who advised them to “stop being cheap.” The discontent with “game key cards” or downloads rather than having the full game on the cartridge is a major concern for collectors and for players with limited internet accessibility.

Furthermore, there were other suVnstantive miscellaneous requests coming in, just like that. Snowpeasteve2015 is over here wondering “destroy all humans 2 when”. Evohcadoh is sneaking into the replies with “What about the Gothic on Switch 2?👀”. And quatrecinq6 brought up price issue, tweeting “70$ game it better be gas”. Thus, the demo announcement turned into a weird town hall meeting where players all at once expressed their complaints and requests.

It is an exciting insight into the gamers’ priorities. Undoubtedly, performance is a significant factor – the fps questions testify that. However, the most dominant and loudest demand is for ownership. A real, physical cartridge that you can hold. The demo is a nice offer, a way to try before you buy, but for many in the core audience, it does not represent the main act. They want the whole thing on a physical medium for their new console. THQ Nordic has given the players a sneak-preview into REANIMAL, yet the reaction shows that the thirst for a complete, traditional physical product is even greater. The situation captures the ongoing conflict between the digital comfort of the present-day gaming industry and the physical monasticism.